Apparatus for making signs



Nqv. 24, 1936. F. L. STOFFEL APPARATUS FOR MAKING SIGNS Filed NOV. 29, 1955 Fig. 1.

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Q), [IV] 5' V Fig. 8. Fzg 9 Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 29, 1935, Serial No. 52,244 In Switzerland November 2'7, 1934 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of sheet iron plates containing signs of any kind such as, for instance, letters, numerals, or like matter.

It is known to produce sign plates made of sheet iron by providing an embossed sheet iron plate with a coat of paint, then drying the plate and grinding off the paint from the raised portions of the plate so that these raised portions representing the signs are clearly visible upon the painted background which has not been ground off. It has also been proposed to emboss coloured sheet iron plates, then grind off the paint from the raised portions so that the plate shows blank polished portions, representing the signs, upon a coloured background.

The subject of the present invention is an improved apparatus for making by stamping or embossing, sign plates in a continuous operation from a band or strip coated with paint upon one side, in which a grinding device provided with a suitable drive and preferably acting after the manner of a milling cutter is arranged between the point at which the workpiece is embossed and a point at which the finished plates are stamped out. The invention also consists in providing in the vicinity of the grinding device a device for drawing off the ground-off matter or dust.

The improved apparatus is particularly suitable for making sheet iron labels.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example one construction embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically in elevation the J embossing and stamping apparatus,

Fig. 2 is a top view of the matrix part of the apparatus of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a top View of the workpiece, viz. sheet iron strip, illustrating the various phases of operation,

Fig. 4 is a section on line IVIV of Fig. 3 showing a portion of the strip between two embossings and showing guiding recesses,

Fig. 5 is a section on line VV of Fig. 3 taken through an embossed portion of the strip,

Fig. 6 is a section on line VI-VI of Fig. 3 showing the strip after being flattened,

Fig. 7 is a finished stamped out fiat sign disc,

Fig. 8 a detail of the grinding device,

Fig. 9 shows a side View and Fig. 10 a plan view of a further detail.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates a set of stamping and embossing tools mounted upon a common support, 2 indicates means for guiding the tools during the stamping and embossing and the other operations, and 3 a matrix cooperating with the tools carried by the common support. The guide means 2 is mounted in the correct position upon the matrix 3 by means of pins 4 and 5 carried by the guide means and engaging corre- 5 spon-ding holes or recesses t and 5 of the matrix part. 6 indicates the sheet iron strip or band (Fig. 3) which is moved intermittently in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, the feeding movements of the strip corresponding to the intervals between the operations of the stamping and embossing tools, the distance of the feed' being indicated by a in Fig. 3. Guide recesses or notches l, are first stamped out of the strip. l0 indicates the die in the matrix containing in reverse form (reflected image) the sign to be produced in the strip by embossing. The corresponding male die is indicated by the numeral l 1. Over the die l i is pushed a band, or strip raiser or stripper l3 provided with guiding pins l2 and having at least two holes 14 and i5 through which the hollow die 8 can pass. The guiding pins 12 penetrate the die guide 2. Two stop pins l6 and I! extend from the bottom of the die to the upper side of the band raiser E3. The latter is pressed by two spring pins l8 and I9 arranged in the matrix upwards against a hollow in the die guide 3. The strip raiser i3 prevents, by its own weight, the strip from being drawn upwards on the raising of the die.

At or near the centre of the matrix there is provided within a recess a grin-ding tool comprising a cup-shaped casing 2! formed with or carrying a shaft 22 (Fig. 8). The bottom of the casing rests upon a ball bearing 23, 24 consisting of balls 23 mounted in a cage 25. Upon the shaft 22 is slid a coupling sleeve 25 which is driven by a flexible shaft 26 fixed to the sleeve. In the casing 2| are arranged radial spring blades 21 which may be connected together, for instance by soldering in the centre of the casing, constituting the grinding tool proper. For pressing the raised portions of the sheet iron strip against the grinding member, at two points equidistant from the centre of the grinding member, there are provided two presser members 28 and 29 (Fig. 1).

Near to the grinding member there is provided a resiliently mounted pin 34 which serves for lifting the strip from the grinding tool. Between guide pins 35 and 35 which guide the strip, there is provided a flattening presser stamp 39, the function of which is to flatten out the raised portions of the strip produced by the embossing operation at the point it.

indicates a punch which serves for stamping bossing the strip by raising a portion of the strip out the finished plate disc from the strip. 4| indicates a channel into which the stamped out sign discs drop. 42 indicates a tube provided with a slot 43 into which may be inserted another tube 44 serving for collecting and removing the discs.

45 and 48 indicate diagrammatically two oppositely arranged dust removing devices, which draw oiT the ground off paint and dust particles. It is essential to remove these particles as quickly as possible, as otherwise they would scratch the nonground parts of the painted strip.

The operation is as follows:

The strip is introduced with the side containing the coat of paint downwards, into the apparatus, and receives first the guide recesses 1 shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 'The raised portions are then produced by means of the embossing die II at the embossing point 10.

The grinding off of the paint from the raised portions of the strip takes place during the intermittent forward feed of the strip first at the point at and then at the point 1 of the continuously rotating grinding tool 2 I, 21. In order that no other portions of the paint coated strip should during the intermittent feed come into contact with the grinding tool, the resilient lifting pin 34 is provided.

Between the pins 35 and 36, the raised portions of the strip are flattened out by means of a stamp 39 so that the strip is quite flat in cross section, as shown in Fig. 6.

.The fiat strip sections provided now with visible signs produced by the grinding, are now punched out by the punch all and pushed into the delivery passage 4| from which they drop into the collector tube.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for making sign plates in a continuous operation from a paint coated sheet iron strip, comprising in combination: means for emfrom the plane of the strip; means for punching out portions of the strip; and means located between the embossing means and the punching means for grinding off the paint from the raised portions.

2. Apparatus for making sign plates in a continuous operation from a paint-coated sheet iron strip, comprising in combination: means for embossing the strip by raising a portion of the strip from the plane of the strip; means for punching out portions of the strip; means located between the embossing means and the punching means for grinding ofi" the paint from the raised portions; and means for drawing ofi continuously the ground-off paint particles.

3. Apparatus for making sign plates in a continuous operation from a paint coated sheet iron strip, comprising in combination: means for embossing the strip by raising a portion of the strip from the plane of the strip; means for punching out portions of the strip; means located between the embossing means and the punching means for grinding off the paint from the raised portions; and means for flattening out the raised portions of the strip.

4. Apparatus for making sign plates in a continuous operation from a paint coated sheet iron strip, comprising in combination: means for embossing the strip by raising a portion of the strip from the plane of the strip; means for punching out portions of the strip; means located between the embossing means and the punching means for grinding off the paint from the raised portions, said means for grinding ofi the paint comprising a cup-shaped casing, and spring blades mounted in said casing.

5. Apparatus for making sign plates in a continuous operation from a paint coated sheet iron strip, comprising in combination: means for embossing the strip by raising a portion of the strip from the plane of the strip; means for punching out portions of the strip; and means located between the embossing means and the punching means for grinding off the paint from the raised portions, said means for grinding off the paint being provided with a flexible shaft drive.

6. Apparatus for making sign plates in a continuous operation from a paint coated sheet iron strip, comprising in combination: means for embossing the strip by raising a portion of the strip from the plane of the strip; means for punching out portions of the strip; means located between the embossing means and the punching means for grinding ofi the paint from the raised portions; and means for lifting the strip arranged posterior to said grinding means.

7. Apparatus for making sign plates in a continuous operation from a paint coated sheet iron strip, comprising in combination: means for embossing the strip by raising a portion of the strip from the plane of the strip; means for punching out portions of the strip; means located between the embossing means and the punching means for grinding off the paint from the raised portions; and means for lifting the strip arranged posterior to said grinding means, said lifting means consisting of a resilient pin.

8. Apparatus for making sign plates in a continuous operation from a paint coated sheet iron strip, comprising in combination: means for embossing the strip by raising a portion of the strip from the plane of the strip; means for punching out portions of the strip; means located between the embossing means and the punching means for grinding off the paint from the raised portions; and means for drawing 01f continuously the ground-01f paint particles, said paint drawing off means having two suction nozzles arranged on both sides of the strip and being continuously driven.

FRANZ LEO STOFFEL. 

